Round 1: Josh Miller on behalf of Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series

Raziel from the Legacy of Kain series is worth putting in a new game if only because of his design. Look at him. Not enough? Okay, let’s see what else I can say to sweeten the pot.

What if I told you that despite having games released on other consoles, there seems to be a general consensus of him being mostly a PlayStation character thanks to his Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver game. Let’s also not forget one of his creators was Amy Hennig, someone very tied to PlayStation thanks to her involvement with the Uncharted series. Raziel being included in a new PlayStation All-Stars roster would make sense for these reasons.

Using Raziel in a new game could be beneficial for Crystal Dynamics as well. There were rumors a few years ago that a new game could be on the horizon, but nothing ultimately came of it. This would be a good way to test the waters for interest, or at the very least, remind people of the character before a new game would be announced.

Raziel has some cool things at his disposal to make him an interesting playable character. For instance, he has torn wings that allow him to glide which could be used strategically to stay at a distance. He also has the ability to shift between realms, so this could give him the ability to be intangible for a set period of time, though caution would be needed to make sure this isn’t too overpowered in a game. He also can engulf souls to heal, though I’m not developer savy enough to figure out how to work that into regular gameplay.

Combat wise, Raziel could use his claws and Soul Reaver sword at his disposal. These are pretty standard fare melee attacks, but the special attacks can be brought about from previous games. These could result with infusing his Soul Reaver with fire for one-hit KOs, glyph abilities for multiple enemies at once, or even more simple attacks such as firing telekinetic bolts. There is plenty for Raziel to use to his advantage.

In the end, Raziel is an awesome looking character with enough to make him a force to be reckoned with in a game like PlayStation All-Stars. His series has the potential to come back with this as a propelling introduction to younger gamers, and with previous games on older PlayStation systems, even fans of the classic games can find a character they enjoy in Raziel.

However, this game, and Sir Galahad, deserves the slot due to Ready at Dawn, the developer, having such deep roots in PlayStation history as well. The first game they’ve worked on involved on of the most cherished PS2 mascots of all time, Daxter. And from then on, they’ve mostly had their hands in Sony exclusive franchises, like the two God of War games on PSP. Now, while many of their PSP games are more fondly remembered and critically acclaimed, they’re all represented on the roster all ready, so getting Sir Galahad on the roster would be the one true way to give Ready at Dawn their due.

But that isn’t to say that Sir Galahad isn’t a worthy addition on his own merits, because there’s a lot of cool ways to implement the lore and weaponry of The Order into the game. He could me another projectile based character, and his unique weapons would make him much more technical than a typical projectile based fighting character. Sure, Kratos can fire arrows, and Nathan Drake can fire his rifle, But Galahad could provide so much more diversity to the projectiple class of fighters.

The Order: 1886 is, as many will tell you, a deeply flawed game. With it’s initial $60 price tag, the brief duration of it’s campaign outweighed it’s great performances and mind-blowing graphics. But now that we are more than four years removed from launch, many of us look back to the game fondly, especially those of us who picked it up at a deep discount later down the road. And it is from that goodwill that I feel The Order: 1886 should be represented.

He could fire his Thermite Rifle for chip damage, then use another ability to ignite the thermite for even more damage. This would lead to higher risk, but also higher reward, gameplay. Similarly, you could use his Arc Induction Lance to provide even more skill based gameplay, as the player would have to wait for the weapon to charge briefly before it fires, thus rewarding good timing. You would even have close range weaponry as well, like the Coach Gun, the Duelist pistol, and his signature knife. Even Blackwater could be implemented as well, allowing for a Parappa the Rapper style ability for Galahad to regenerate AP for supers without damaging another opponent.

So, yes, The Order: 1886 was a missed opportunity and it desperate deserves a sequel to iterate on the great game that was hidden behind it’s flaws. But adding Galahad to this roster would be a compelling first step to reaffirm him as one of PlayStation’s core mascots, and The Order as one of it’s core franchises. Plus, he was already in Super Time Force, so why not let him cross over into an even bigger game!?

Round 3: Fight!

So, who do you think should get the slot, Raziel or Sir Galahad? Vote in the Twitter poll embedded below, and follow @LosHarrowGames for the next match up!